We spent a dizzying morning a few weeks ago with the folks at Opportunity Works. Opportunity Works provides employment support to individuals with disabilities. They promote a culture of dignity and respect while empowering and teaching those who gather each day to get working! Opportunity works owns and operates their facility which is located in the Industrial Park. The morning we visited the work center was humming with activity. Opportunity Works is an order fulfillment center, an assembly plant, and packaging plant, all at once in their capable work center. The workers are never given busywork, and they complete needed jobs for many local, regional, and even nationally based businesses. However 85% of the companies that contract for work services with Opportunity Works are local. This means that they are consistently providing economic development within our city. The morning that we visited with them we saw workers matching and filling boxes for Newburyport Packaging Specialists, and labeling parts for Farraz Shumut.
In addition to the work center, Opportunity Works provides day support, day habilitaion services, and recreational services. They also provide workers the opportunity to work outside of their facility in community based employment with the help of a specially trained employment specialist.
The staff at Opportunity Works is fully committed to the agency. They have an extremely low staff turnover, which is unusual in the social service field where burnout is a regular occurrence. Opportunity works boasts employees that have been there for 15- 20 years, they have one staff member that has been there for 30!
Opportunity Works is excited about their upcoming auction. The Lend a Hand Auction is celebrating it’s 26th year. It will be aired live on Saturday, February 20 from 12 noon – 9:00 pm. It can be viewed on local cable TV as well as through www.portmedia.org. The auction is Opportunity Works’ principle fund raiser. Over 700 items/certificates will be auctioned live on TV auction day. It’s a fabulous event that the community has supported for years. You can head over to the Nock Middle School on Feb. 18th from 5-8:30 PM for a preview of all the fantastic auction items or (for the first time this year) view the items online HERE.
